Improved process of treating fyroxyle, pyroxyline



' r ttjw "haw- LEANDER R. STRE ETER, OF CHELSEA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND A. B. ELY, T RUSTEES,) OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 89,254, time April 20, 1869.

IMPROVED PROCESS OI TREATmG' PYROXYLE, ZFYROXYLINE, AND SUB- STANCE, FOR. PORMG- USEFUL AND ORNAMENT-BL ARTICLES. m Schedule referred to is these Letters Patent and making part or the same.

Be it known that I, LEANDER R. STIt EE'TER, of

Chelsea, in the State of Massachusetts, havediscovered or invented certain new and useful Processes for Treating Pyroxylc, Pyroxyline, Soluble Gun-Cotton, or Xyloidine, and its compounds, and for forming articles of ornament, utility, and manufacture there from, of which the fiillowing is a full description:

The nature of my discovery orjnvention consists in forming articles of ornament, utility, and manufacture from pyroxyle, or pyroxyline, or xyloidine, (or vegetable fibre rendered soluble by the action of chemical re agents,) or its compounds, by a'secoud process, follow-- .ing the treatment of the same with and after the evaporation of its solvents, (whereby it is made hard and horny,) said second process being the rendering the diied or hardened pyroxyle or pyroxyliue yielding, extensible and impressible, by the action of fluids,

which only distend without dissolving the pyroxyle' or pyroxyline, (or which may soften or dissolve the materials compounded with the pyroxylc or pyr0xyline,)

such as alcohol, sulphide of; carbon, naphtha, chloro it is 'well known that pyroxyle or pyroxyline has not only been extensively used in solution for many purposes in surgery and the arts, but has been variously compounded and utilized in the peculiarly flexible and horny condition in which it is left by the evapolation of most of its ethcrial solvents, especially that of sulphuric ether.

But all these processes begin and end with the use of the first solvent. If the materials are reused. it is only by repeating the first process.

The serious diific-ulties attending the large extension of this remarkable and valuable material into articles of manufacture, are its powerful shrinkage, the exceeding volatility of its etheiial solvents, and the absolute non-adhesibility ofits dried surfaces, upon which heat has no material softening effect. I

These diiticulties in the direct action of a solvent must continue until some more manageable menstrnum is found for it.

I find, however, by employing a second process, and different fluids, the embarrassments attending the first process may be overcome, and pyroxyline in the hard or dried state may be adapted to nearly all, if not all, the purposes hitherto sought for it with the use of etherial solvents.

And this process consists not in rendering it fluid or hardened, as above described) any kind of round, flat,

plastic, or otherwise aifecting it by solvents, but by employing such fluids as will only penetrate its pores, and distend the whole, or such as will not only distend it, but soften or dissolve the bodies compounded with it, whereby it becomes yielding and impressible, and V the materials compounded with it are also rendered adhesihle, or cements may be combined with it, as stated above.

struum, and evaporating the same,) is used, say, to

manufacture ladies .bracelets, or other jewelry, or manufactures similarly manipulated, the hard mate'- rial being brought into a flat, round, or other shape,

and ornamented, polished,aud finished, or not, as may be desired, is immersed in alcohol, or other proper non-solvent of pyroxyle or pyroxyline, for from ten to fiftccnhouis, more or less, according to the thickness of the material. I

It can now be bent into the desired shape with the utmost ease, and being secured in its position until the alcohol or'other non-solvent is evaporated, it is permanently formed.

Or to give the pure, hard pyroxyle or pyroxyline,

made as stated above, any kind of solid homogeneous.

form, it may be disintegrated toauy required degree, then immersed in alcohol, sulphide of carbon, naphtha, chloroform, brother suitable non-solvent of pyroxyle or pyroxyliue, for from ten to fifteen hours, more or less, according to its degree of disintegration, then thoroughly intermixed with any suitable cementive body, citherin liquid or powdered form, and brought into the required shape by. spontaneous formation, as by pouring it upon flat or irregular surfaces, or into moulds, or by compression in moulds or dies, or in moulds acting as dies, or, if intermixed with a powdered cement, then by pouring upon flat or irregular surfaces, or into moulds, and applying heat, or into dies, or into moulds-acting as dies, and applying compression with heat.

In such cases, the pyroxyle orpyroxyline, being distended, as stated above, may be compelled into harmonious shapes from its acquired yielding, distem sible, compressible, and imprcssible qualities or conditions, and made permanently thus shaped by the added cement.

Or to give to pyroxyle or pyroxyline (when compounded with any othermaterials whatsoever, and

or irregular solid homogeneous form, it may be treated either in the manner above described for making ladies bracelets, &c., or be disintegrated and manipulated as described in the treatment of the same with oementive bodies.

But where it is desired to form solid articles, varying in thickness, and requiring pressure without the use of-a cementive agent, the pyroxyle or pyroxyline, or its compounds, after being dissolved and dried, must be subjected to the action of a non-solvent, as

-' before give'u, and then shaped up'by compression in moulds or. dies,,or in mouldsacting as dies.

It would be'desirable, however, that the prepared material, in this case, should approximate to the general form of the article to be made, and be in a single piece, inasmuch as no ordinary pressure would unite its surfaces, and it is not truly (or indefinitely) 7 suflice, where the article to be made could be compelled into the required form by simply bending, or by moderate force, and there passively secured untilthe dis'tending and perhaps softening fluid or non-solvent of pyroxyle or pyroxyline was evaporated.

"But where the distended or prepared mateiial must be compelled into irregular shapes and proportions by compression, then either moulds or dies, or moulds acting as dies, must be employed, and a cementive agent to be found in the compound itself, or one .must

I be intermixed, and the process pursued which is adapted to either condition, with or without heat, as

given above; or it may be formed in the manner describedfor treating a single. piece of the material, prepared by my second process.

The foregoing directions will embrace about every mode of use to which the process herein given can be adapted.

It cannot well beiused to any general advantage in a very thin condition. N or can a distended semi-solid piece of pyroxyle orpyroxyline, or its compounds, be well compelled into all indefinite forms, as a soft and 7 plastic body can.-

But in the semi-solid distended state produced by my second process, it can be compelled into an inde-' finite variety of useful and permanent shapes, and where it is mixed with or .made a cementive body, in

the manner described, it has all the scope of any soft, plastic material, and is as readily and reliably controlled. Y

. It should be stated, that whileis'is desirable that the etherial solvents employed inthe first process should be entirely evaporated, yet no serious incon- 4 venienco would result in the second process if a small portion remained; but to commence the treatment by my second process, before the first evaporation was nearly or quite perfected, would tend to reduce the strength of the hardened pyroxyle or pvroxyline, or

its compounds.

The toughness of hardened pyroxyle or pyroxyline, or its compounds, is perfected by the solvent action of sulphuric ethenandits thorough evaporation afterwards.

Any fluid which absorbs or expels the sulphuric ether from the pyroxyline, weakens it to just the degree it is so absorbed or expelled.

I desire to add that the distcnding agency of the fluids in the, second process only extends to the cellu-- lar expansiveness of the hardened pyroxyle or pyroxyline, or its compounds. 1

The hardened or dried pyroxyle o r ,pyroxyline, (or

second process of treatment, asherein described.

If it retained its rigid, horny qualities, it would be of too difiicnlt compressibility to readily adapt itself to reqniredforms; but, treated by my second process,

it may be easily compelled into other shapes, or im-' pressed with various designs, or rolled out into thinner sheets, or otherwise altered in figures; or by the use of a suitable cement, it may be attached to other materials orbodics, the methods to be pursued being found in the preceding specifications.

Where vulcanite rubber, or pyroxyle or pyroxyline, or its compounds, (whether in the form of collodion or otherwise,) or any other solid, soft, plastic, or fluid material or body, is now used in the arts, or manufactured into various shapes, whether by spontaneous formation upon flat or irregular horizontal surfaces, or by moulding without compression, or shaping by compression in dies, or moulds acting as dies,,or by adhesion to other bodies or materials, by the interposition or aid of a cement, and where heat is or is not employed, the modes of maniptation hereinbefore-da scribed. will suffice to adapt my new process for treating pyroxyle or pyroxyline, or its compounds, to like use in the arts, or manufactured articles, and in any new uses to which my new process for treating pyroxyle 'or pyroxyline, or its compounds, may be adapted, the foregoing specifications will be a suliicient guide to any one of skill and capacity to m nage or work the same. i

That is, ifvulcanite rubber, prepared pyroxyle or pyroxyline, or its compounds, or other'material, for which my second process, as herein described,'is a desirable substitute, is now poured, rolled, or packed in any manner, upon horizontal surfaces, or into moulds, or in dies, or in moulds acting as dies, or otherwise, the same course is to be pursued under this new and second process, and in whatever manner it may now or hereafter be desirable to employ my'aforesaid second process, the manipulations given in the foregoing will be a suiiicient' guide in the use. of pyroxyle or pyrox-v yline, or its compounds, in the place of other and similarly-adaptable substances, the same being applied in any mode that is known and desirable.

I do not confine myself to any particular compounding of pyroxyle or pyroxyline, nor to the use of any particular cement, or cemcutive body, but claim, broadly, any compounds, or the use of any cementive agents, when the same are prepared and treated according to.my new and second process, substantially as herein set forth.

If not sutficiently expressed inthe foregoing speciliproduced, and the degree of temperature employed.

What I claim, is-- i 1. Treating pyroxyle, pyroxyline, or xyloidine, or its compounds,with suitable non-solvents, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. Treating pyroxyline, or its compounds, with suitable non-solvents and cementive agents, substantially aseaud for. the purposes set forth.

3, Pyroxyline, or xyloidine, oisolnble gun-cotton, and its compounds, treated with suitable non-solvents, substantially as described.

4. 'Pyroxyline, and its compounds, treated with suitable non-solyents and cementive agents, substantially as described.

5. The formation of articles of ornament, utility, and manufacture from pyroxyle or pyroxyline, and its compounds, rendered yielding, clistensible, compressible, and impressible by a second process, substantially as set forth.-

6. The formation oi articles of ornament, utility,

and manufacture, by rendering pyroxyle or pyroxyline, or its componnds ,'yielding, distensible, compressible, impressible, and adhesive, by a second process, substantially asset forth.

7. The attaching of pyroxyle or pyroxyline, or its compounds, to other materials, articles, or bodies, after t the said pyroxyle, 860., has been treated by my second process, substantially as set forth.

LEANDER R. STREETER.

Witnesses:

ALICE EvSTREETER, ANNIE STREETER. 

